Goodbye Wild Oats

"Whole Foods Market Inc. and Wild Oats Markets Inc. are cleared to proceed with their merger, a $565 million deal that could close as early as Monday, Aug. 27.

Late Thursday the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied the Federal Trade Commission's request for a stay to stop the merger. The appeals court also dissolved the FTC's Aug. 20 administrative injunction, which had prevented the deal from going forward while the court considered the FTC's motion.

"We are pleased to have cleared what we expect to be our last legal hurdle," said Whole Foods Chairman and Chief Executive John Mackey, in a statement. "We look forward to closing this merger and believe the synergies gained from this combination will create long-term value for our customers, vendors and shareholders as well as exciting opportunities for our new and existing team members."

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